Automatic bell-buoy



(No Model.)

, H. 0. JOHNSON.

AUTOMATIC BELL BUOY.

No. 581,349. Patented Apr. 27, 1897.

WITNESS: v INVENTUR Mflm WM Tram/HS.

UNITED STATES HORACE CLINTON JOHNSON, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC BELL-BUOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581 ,349, dated April 27, 1897.

Application filed July 8, 1896. Serial No. 598,429. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE CLINTON J OHN- SON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Bedford, in the county of'Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Bell-Buoys, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to automatic bellbuoys, such as are usually employed for signalin g to vessels of various classes, and which are adapted to be operated by the action of the waves and tides.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which' Figure 1 is a sectional side view of my improved buoy; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2 thereof; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3, and Fig. 4- an enlarged View of a portion of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

In the practice of my invention I provide an upright or standard A, which is rigidly secured in the bed of the sea, lake, or other body of water, and at a point where the water is too shallow to admit of navigation, and mounted loosely thereon are three rings or bands B, b, and b and these rings or bands are free to turn on the upright or standard A, and the lower rings or bands I) and b are held in place and prevented from vertical movement by collars C, which are rigidly connected with the standard or upright A.

Secured to the intermediate ring or band I) are outwardly-directed arms D, four of which are preferably employed, and secured to the upper ring or band B are four similar arms d, which are inclined downwardly and secured to the outer ends of the arms D, and connected with the lower ring or band 12 are four similar arms d the ends of which are carried upwardly and secured to the outer ends of the arms D and the lower ends of the arms d.

Suspended from each of the arms D are triangular plates E, four of which are employed, and these plates are free to move or swing on their supports, and the lower sides thereof extend slightly below the arms 61 and the general form of the frame, which consists of the rings or bands 13, b, and b and the arms D, d, and 01 is clearly shown in Fig. 1. The ring or band B is provided with an upwardly-directed arm G, which is rigidly connected therewith and free to turn on the standard or upright A, and secured to said collar is a gear-wheel g, which operates in connection with a smaller gear-wheel or pinion secured to the lower end of a shaft H, which is mounted in keepers h, which are secured to the upper end of the upright or standard A, and the upper end of the shaft I-I extends to near the upper end of said upright or standard and is provided with a crank-arm 7L Mounted centrally in the upper end of the upright or standard A is a standard or sup port L, to the upper end of which is secured a bell M, and secured to the top of said standard or upright A is an arm 0, with the outer end of which is pivotally connected a cranklever P, which is provided with an arm P, which is adapted to be operated by the crankarm if on the shaft H, and the outer end of the crank-lever P is provided with a knob or clapper P and the arm P is provided with a spring P, which is secured to the arm 0, and the operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the following statement thereof.

The triangular plates E are so supported that no matter in which way the currents or tides are moving the frame in which they are connected will always revolve to the right, and this movement of the frame revolves the gear-wheel g in the same direction, and the pinion or gear-wheel g is revolved thereby to the left, and this pinion revolves the shaft H in the same manner, and at each revolution of the shaft H the crank-arm 72, will also revolve to the left, and at each revolution said crank-arm will strike the arm P of the cranklever P and force the clapper or knob P into contact with the inner surface of the bell M, and thus sound the alarm, and at each operation of the crank-lever P the spring P operates to withdraw theclap'per or knob P from contact with the sides of the bell.

The outer ends of the arms D may be connected by rods or bars or in any desired manner so as to give strength to the frame, and

this device is simple in construction and operation, and my invention is not limited to the number of arms D, d, and d and it is evident that changes in and modifications of the various features of the construction herein described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages, and I reserve the right to make all such alterations therein and modifications thereof as fairly come within the scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an automatic bell-buoy, the combination with a suitable standard or support, of a revoluble frame mounted thereon, consisting of three rings or bands 13, b, and U, which are loosely and revolubly mounted thereon, said rings or bands being arranged in the order named with the ring or band B, uppermost, and said ring or band B, being capable of vertical movement, on said support, outwardlydirected arms D, which are connected with the middle ring or band I), corresponding arms connected with the outer ends thereof, and with the upper ring or band B, and corresponding arms also connected with the outer ends of the arms D, and carried downwardly and connected with the lower ring or band b said arms D, being also provided with triangular plates E, which are hinged thereto, or pivotally connected therewith, and which extend downwardly slightly below the arms which are connected with the lower ring or band, and with the outer ends of the arms D, said frame being also provided with a gearwheel, a bell supported above said upright or standard, and operating devices connected with said upright or standard and said gear wheel, and operating in connection with said bell for sounding an alarm, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an automatic bell-buoy, the combina tion with a suitable upright or support, of a revoluble frame mounted thereon, and comprising three rings or bands, which are revoluble on said upright or support, the central ring or band being provided with outwardlydirected arms, and the upper and lower rings or hands being provided with arms which are connected therewith, and the arms connected with said central band being provided with plates, which are suspended therefrom, and are free to swing thereon, and which project below the arms connected with the lower ring or band, a bell supported upon said upright or support, and means connected with said frame for operating the same, consisting of a gear-wheel mounted on said frame, and operating in connection with a pinion mounted on a vertical shaft at the upper end of which is a crank-arm which is adapted to operate a crank-lever, connected with said standard or support, and which is provided with a clapper or knob, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of May, 1896.

HORACE CLINTON JOHNSON.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIs L. HATI-IA'WAY, J 01in S. BIBBER. 

